Karl: Performance warranted win

Karl Robinson believes his MK Dons players came away from their clash with Coventry City on Saturday with the result their performance deserved.

The Dons picked up their fifth straight away win at Sixfields, thanks to two stunning goals from Dele Alli and Izale McLeod and goalkeeper David Martin’s late penalty save.

The result lifted the men from MK1 back to within three points of the play-off places heading into the final five games of the season and after the game Robinson heaped praise on his team following another impressive away showing.

The Dons boss told MK Dons Player: “It was a good performance by us. (Coventry) will obviously be disappointed with missing the penalty and they’ll feel as though they should have got a point but I thought we looked strong and dominated large parts of the game.

“We've come here and put a performance on with only five on the bench and having lost Dean Bowditch early on, which scuppered our plans just a little bit. Thankfully, they got the result today that their performance deserved.

“It’s important now that we focus on Crawley at home, it’s another big game. I said last week that we’re still in it and we certainly are. These players have been magnificent and they won’t throw the towel in, they’ll keep working and they'll keep doing the right things in training.”

The game will no doubt be remembered for the two superb finishes which provided the victory; first Alli’s wonderful 25-yard volley and, later, an inch-perfect chip from McLeod with only his second touch after coming on as a substitute.

“I see that (finish from Dele) in training every day,” Robinson added. “It’ll probably win goal of the season because I can’t see too many beating it. (Dele’s) a special talent and I love working with him.

“(For the second goal) I felt we needed to stretch them in-behind and Izale does that by playing on the shoulder of the last defender. We knew that if we got in then we’d have a chance of nicking one and it’s worked. Hopefully that will kick start him for the back end of the season.”